Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Shut Up Pierre

If there is a more annoying Conservative MP than Pierre Poilievre let me know. In another sign of thin Conservative ranks, Poilievre seems to have been chosen as the point man to defend the "in and out" scandal. This morning Poilievre was on Canada AM, making the usual weak excuses, attacking Elections Canada, bringing up the Liberal camera, the usual, decidedly lame retorts, that have nothing to do with the allegations themselves. Fair enough I suppose, when you have nothing, you are forced to work the margins and try to create diversion. The funniest thing Poilievre said was:
"We think that in a free country, candidates decide what goes in their materials, and not a government bureaucrat."

How high-minded, even if it isn't true. I guess Pierre forgot about the part where the candidates actually didn't decide:
"Conservative candidates and their official agents knew next to nothing about election advertising that their campaigns had helped pay for, Elections Canada discovered during its probe of the party's in-and-out financing scheme.

They scratched their heads trying to recall details of the ad-buying arrangement orchestrated by the party's headquarters. Several simply remember Conservative officials telling them money would land in their accounts, cash that must be swiftly returned to Ottawa."

"Candidates decide what goes into their materials"? Hmmm:
"In the B.C. riding of Nanaimo-Cowichan, for example, Conservative candidate Norm Snowden was in a tough fight against NDP incumbent Jean Crowder. Mr. Snowden's campaign, along with other Conservative campaigns on Vancouver Island, had received the request from national headquarters to consider participating in the "in-and-out" proposal.

Mr. Snowden's campaign sent $8,089.20 to the national office for the ads which would be seen by Mr. Snowden's potential voters. Next door, the Conservative campaign in Esquimalt, running against incumbent Keith Martin, sent in $9,999.15.

But the ads that the national party bought and placed in the Vancouver Island market were anti-Liberal ads. Mr. Snowden's campaign was furious. They weren't fighting the Liberals in Nanaimo-Cowichan, they were fighting the NDP. To them, the $8,000 they'd sent to national headquarters was a waste of money they could have spent on local ads attacking Ms. Crowder."

You know what? It's time for Conservatives to just accept some blame here, own up to pushing the envelope and take their lumps. I can't listen to "ankle biters" (h/t knb) like Poilievre employ the scorched earth defence, wherein the only option is too cast doubt on institutions that form the foundation of our democracy. Elections Canada isn't biased, anyone with any objectivity can see that their evidence of a co-ordinated scheme to circumvent the election laws for partisan advantage is sound. Other parties didn't do the same thing, because there is only one party under investigation, only one party engaged in this technique, only one party who's own MP's were concerned about the practice, only one party who presented doctored documentation.

Isn't it ironic, that at the exact same moment in history that Harper's Conservatives were telling Canadians that we needed a return to honest, ethical government, they were in fact "cheating" for their own self-interest, laying waste to fundamental fairness. Even worse, some of those ads on accountability, that people across the country viewed, where actually the by-product of unethical behavior. Dishonest behavior to tell Canadians they were honest.

Put a sock in it Pierre.

11 comments:

ottlib said...

If these allegations prove true it would mean the Conservatives were breaking their promise of cleaner and more honest government when they were promising same.

I am still trying to figure out if that is an indication of chutzpah or hubris.

Steve V said...

Harper finally speaks:

"This is the same story as before," he said. "We always follow the law as it has been interpreted."

Harper with the "old news" defence. That will work. The last quote should read "We always manipulated the law, as it has been interpreted by us".

Steve V said...

ottlib

Exactly! That is the central point, the irony of using illegal and unethical practices to present a message of ethical, clean government. The only reason some people saw those ads attacking the Liberals ethics, preaching honesty is because the Cons were allegedly engaged in "cheating". It is the absolutely perfect manifestation of Conservative HYPOCRISY.

Steve V said...

Welcome vistors from Conservative.ca, nice to see you have your hard drives back!

Anonymous said...

I have never seen Pierre on TV or heard his voice on the radio. Just photos and text quotes. When I read things he's said, I imagine the voice of James Earl Jones. It's really funny.

Anonymous said...

They broke their promise with the very act of making their promise. There is a mathematical elegance to it.

Steve V said...

"There is a mathematical elegance to it."

It really is a thing of beauty isn't it.

burlivespipe said...

And to prove Harper's lie, HE personally donated beyond the allowable limit!
Et Tu, Butthead?

Möbius said...

Now you know how I feel whenever Goodale or Brison are being interviewed.

My arteries harden at the thought.

Steve V said...

mobius

Ditch the trans fats then ;)

Anonymous said...

"This is the same story as before...". Harper is a spin machine. Has he ever said anything remotely insightful? Has he ever taken responsibility for anything? He is the most cynical man in Canada.